Material stitching and guiding machine



May 30, 1967 R. w. WINBERG Original Filed April 24, 1963 MATERIAL STITCHING AND GUIDING MACHINE F I6. I w I I I I.

FIG. 2.

INVENTOR RAG/VAR a wwasxe A 7'I'ORNIY5 E May 30, 1967 R. w. WINBERG 3,322,031

MATERIAL STITCHING AND GUIDING MACHINE Original Filed April 24, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. 19A 64 4 a) u/weme BY /72 M ivy,

pTTOpQA/GYS May 30, 1967 R. w. WINBERG MATERIAL STITCHING AND GUIDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet FIG. 5.

Original Filed April 24, 1963 Y 2/4 F IG. 7. 20 I INVENTOR RAG/VAR, a). w/veme A'rwzt/L v 1 1.. ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,322,081 MATERIAL STITCHING AND GUIDING MACHINE Ragnar W. Winberg, Floral Park, N.Y., assignor to 0 & W Sewing Machine Attachments, Inc., Mineola, N.Y., a I corporation of New York Continuation of application Ser. No. 275,297, Apr. 24, 1963. This application May 20, 1966, Ser. No. 556,535 17 Claims. (Cl. 112-2) This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 275,297,

filed April 24, 1963, and entitled, Material Stitching and Guiding Machine. 7 The present invention relates generally to sewing apparatus, and in particular to a machine for stitching single or multiple plies of material along a stitch line coextensive with and spaced from an edge thereof. Advantageously, my present machine finds useful application in the stitching of superposed pieces of material along curved or contoured edges, as in the manufacture of diverse articles of mens and womens wearing apparel, including without limitation, trousers, coats, dresses, slips, shirts and the like.

In various stages of apparel manufacture, it becomes necessary to join superposed pieces of material along a stitch line which is coextensive with and spaced from the superposed edges of the pieces of material. The usual practice is to employ a conventional sewing machine, with the operator matching up the superposed edges and then feeding the same through the sewing machine while continuously guiding the material assembly to assure stitching along a line uniformly spaced from the superposed edges to provide necessary selvage or margin.

Numerous attempts have been made to modify conventional sewing machines to facilitate the semi-automatic or completely automatic feed of material thereto for stitching. However, such equipment usually is limited in its application to straight line stitching of continuous lengths of material or is adapted to only stitch precisely in the same repetitive pattern. Usually, such equipment for either straight line or so-called nest stitching is relatively complicated, expensive, diflicult to operate and inflexible.

There exists a need for equipment which enables the automatic stitching of superposed pieces of material along a prescribed course, whether the same be curved or straight. Preferably, such equipment should be useful for either short or long runs of material and capable of ready adjustment to follow the diverse edge configurations which are presented from day to day in a typical garment factory. For example, in the stitching of any one particular type of garment, there will be variation in the length and curvature of the seam depending upon the style and size of the garment. Further, when switching from one garment to another, or even from one size to another for the same garment, an entirely different set of stitching conditions may be presented; and preferably, the machine should be readily adapted to such new conditions.

Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to provide sewing apparatus which realizes one or more aforesaid objectives. Specifically, it is within the contemplation of the present invention to provide a feeding and guiding attachment for application to various types of sewing machines which enable the stitching of superposed plies of materials along a stitch line which closely follows the contour of the coextensive edges of the superposed plies and is substantially uniformly spaced therefrom.

In accordance with certain aspects of the invention, there is provided a conveying and guiding mechanism for bodily advancing material to a Work location while continuously orienting the material in accordance with the contour of the edge thereof. The conveying and guiding mechanism includes a conveyor which is arranged to underline and engage the material and advance the same along the feed path toward the Work location, the conveyor preferably including plural side by side belts each of which extends towards and past the work location. An elongated flexible cam member is arranged substantially along one side of the feed path and is adapted to be secured in a prescribed configuration related to the contour of the edge. The cam member is engaged by a cam follower which is movable therealong, engaging the material with the cam follower such that the material is steered in accordance with said prescribed configuration such as to displace the material in relation to the feed path While being bodily advanced toward the work location by the conveyor. Advantageously, the flexible cam member may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with the particular edge configuration and may be readily changed over by the machine operator in relatively short order and without undue difficulty.

In accordance with an illustrative embodiment demonstrating certain features of the present invention, the machine comprises a support having mounted thereon sewing mechanisms including a reciprocating needle operable at a stitching location for stitching the material along a stitch line. The cam member is in the form of an elongated guide rail projecting forwardly of the nedele and contoured along its length to guide the material as the same is advanced toward and through the stitching location. The guide rail is adjustably mounted on the support by a mounting arrangement including individually releasable adjustable mounts arranged at a plurality of locations along the length of the guide rail such that the operator can change the configuration of the guide rail as required for different stitching operations. The cam follower is in the form of a material-clamping means which is movably mounted on the guide rails and is engageable with the trailing end of the edge of the material when the leading end thereof is disposed at the stitching location. The material-clamping means is movable along the guide rail towards the stitching needle incident to the feeding action of the sewing machine and continuously orients successive edge-adjacent portions of the material in relation to the needle of the sewing mechanisms for stitching the material along the stitching line.

The above brief description, as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred but nonetheless illustrative embodiment in accordance with the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a stitching machine embodying features of the present invention, shown with a typical sleeve-forming assembly in position for feed therethrough;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary rear elevational view and on an enlarged scale, parts being broken away and sectioned to show the centrifugal mercury switch incorporated in the machine control;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged rear elevational view of the ma chine, taken from the side remote from the operators position and with parts broken away and sectioned, showing the main drive motor and the several belt and pulley drives to the various mechanisms incorporated in the machines;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the machine, showing further details of the motor drive and machine control;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view, on an enlarged scale, taken in the region of the stitching mechanisms and showing the trailing portion of a typical material assembly during passage through the machine;

with provision for FIG. 6 is a fragmentary transverse section through the cam member or rail, showing the details of the material clamp and the arrangement for securing the rail in various'adjusted positions;

FIG. 7 is a partially diagrammatic and schematic elevational view, taken from the rear of the sewing machine head, showing the details of the control arrangement associated with the presser foot thereof; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic and diagrammatic representation of the cam member or guiding rail, with a further illustrative material assembly clamped thereto and in successive positions of movement through its stitching interval.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, there is shown a material guiding and stitching machine, generally designated by the reference numeral 10, which is suitable for the stitching together of superposed plies or pieces of material M having a curved or contoured edge e, as for example the illustrated sleeve panel. Although, the invention will be described with specific reference to one type of sewing machine and with particular emphasis to the application of the instant equipment to the apparel trade, it will be appreciated that various types of commercially available sewing equipment may be adapted in accordance with the invention and that the same is not confined specifically to the stitching of various types of wearing apparel.

The machine 10 includes a feed bed or table 12 which is mounted on an appropriate stand 14 (see FIG. 3) and is inclined downwardly from its rearward edge towards its forward edge. Projecting forwardly of the table 12 substantially medially thereof and in coplanar relation therewith is a correspondingly inclined table extension 16 (see FIG. 1).

Mounted on the table 12 is a sewing machine, generally designated by the reference numeral 18, which may be of any conventional type, such as a drop-feed sewing machine, a double thread chainlock sewing machine (i.e. style 54400K made by Union Special), or the like. In the illustrative embodiment, there is shown a drop-feed sewing machine including a machine body 20 having an upstanding head section 22 and an elongated body section 24. Extending longitudinally of the machine body 20 is a main drive shaft 26 which is connected via pulleys 28, 30 and a V-belt 32 trained thereover to the motor shaft 34a of a main drive motor 34 mounted beneath the table 12 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). Within the head section 22 of the machine 18 is a vertically reciprocable presser foot bar 36 which has rernovably mounted thereon a presser foot 38.'Arranged in side by side relation with the presser foot bar 36 is a needle bar (not shown) which carries the usual needle 40 which is movable through successive stitch-forming strokes and is nested within the presser foot 38. In this illustrative embodiment, a four-motion feed dog 42 is disposed beneath the presser foot and projects through a conventional throat plate (not shown) and is effective to periodically advance material M to be stitched along a predetermined stitching path in relation to the assembly of the presser foot 38 and the needle 40. The required timed cyclic motion is imparted to the needle 40 and the feed dog 42 off the main drive shaft 26 of the machine by mechanisms which are known .per se. Aceordingly, further description of this typical sewing machine and equivalent structures will be dispensed with in the interest of simplicity.

Disposed rearwardly of the cooperating presser foot 38 and feed dog 42 is a rotary feed wheel 44 which .is arranged along the feed or stitching path of the material M through the sewing machine and supplements the feeding action of the four-motion feed dog 42. The feed wheel 44 is journaled for rotation about a horizontal and transverse axis and is coupled by an appropriate flexible coupling shaft which is not shown but is disposed within a corresponding flexible covering 46 and is connected to the output of a gear reduction unit 48. As seen best in FIGS. 1 and 3, the *gear reduction unit 48 is connected to an intermediate pulley shaft 50 which carries driven and being typical of pulley 52 coupled by a belt 54 to driving pulley 56 which is mounted on the main drive shaft 26 in side by side relation to the main driving pulley 28. The wheel-driving pulley 56 may be of the adjustable diameter type to permit variation in the drive from the main drive shaft 26 to the feed wheel 44. For further detail of this type of rotary feeder, reference may be made to US. Patent No. 2,777,409 of January 15, 1957, entitled, Feed Means for Sewing Machines.

As seen in FIG. 1, a conveyor 58, which includes plural side by side endless belts 60, is arranged to underlie the material M for advancing the same in relation to the sewing machine 18 during a stitching interval such that successive edge-adjacent portions of the material M are presented to the stitching mechanisms including the needle 40 and the presser foot 38 at the stitching location. In this illustrative embodiment, a cantilevered bracket 62 projects forwardly from the table 12 at the left end thereof, as viewed in FIG. 1, and terminates at its forward end in a bearing 64. One end of a front belt shaft 66 is journalled in bearing 64, with the shaft 66 extending at right angles to the conveyor belts 60. The other end of the front belt shaft 66 is journaled in appropriate bearing fixed to the foremost end of the table extension 16. The front belt shaft 66 carries a front belt idler pulley 68 over which the adjacent ends of the belts 60 are trained. Disposed in spaced relation to the front belt shaft 66 and rearwardly of the table 12 is a rear belt shaft 70 which is journaled in appropriate bearings 72, 74 carried by the table 12 and in turn has secured thereto a rear belt driving pulley 76. The rear belt shaft 70 extends toward the right end of the table 12 (see FIG. 1) and is opby appropriate gearing and a belt and eratively connected pulley coupling to the main drive shaft 26 of the sewing machine 18. In this illustrative embodiment, a mounting bracket or casting 78 is fixed to the machine table 12 rearwardly of the machine body 20 and has journaled thereon a combined pulley and gear shaft 80 which extends in spaced parallel relation to and rearwardly of the rear belt shaft 70. The pulley and gear shaft 80 carries an adjustable diameter driven pulley 82 which is coupled by a belt 84 to a driving pulley 86 on the main drive shaft 26 of the sewing machine, with the driving pulley 86 being disposed between pulley 28, 56.,The provision for adjustment in the diameter of the driven pulley 82 affords a convenient means for varying the speed of the rear belt shaft 70 and the corresponding feed rate of the material M as established by the multiple-belt conveyor 58. The driven gear and pulley shaft 80 is coupled to the rear belt shaft 70 by a helical gear 88 which meshes with a helical gear 90 fixed to the upper end of a worm shaft 92 which is journaled on a bracket or casting :78 (see FIG. 3). The lower end of the worm shaft 92 carries a worm 94 which meshes with a wormwheel 96 carried on the adjacent end of the shaft 70. Thus, the conveyor 58 is driven from the main machine motor 34, with provision for varying the rate of advance of the material M V which lies above the multiple belts 60 of the conveyor 58.

An elongated flexible guide rail or cam member 100 projects forwardly of the needle 36 and the presser foot 38 and at least partially over the table extension 16. The rail is fabricated of a flexible material (i.e. metal) such that it may be contoured along its length to guide the fabric or material M as the same is advanced toward and through the stitching location such that the material will be stitched along a stitched line S (see FIG. 5) spaced from the adjacent edge e of the material M by a sub-stantially uniform margin or selvage m. At is end contiguous to the needle 36, the rail 100 is formed with an car 102 and is pivoted by a vertical pivot or pin 104 on the table 12 such that the rail 100 may be swung in asubstantially horizontal plane. At plural locations along its length, the guide rail 100 is secured to the table extension 16 by corresponding adjustable mounts, the foremost mount being generally designated by the reference numeral 106 the plural'intermediate mounts. The

number and location of the mounts will depend upon the length of the rail 100 and other designed considerations. The adjustable mount 106 includes a rail-mounting arm 108 which has a pivotal connection 110 to the rail 100 at the gear 112 and in turn is adjustably mounted as by a Wing nut and bolt 114 in a guideway 116 provided in the table extension 16. Since the remaining adjustable mounts are of the same construction, except for the lengths of their respective rail-mounting arms, their description is dispensed with in the interest of brevity. However, it will be appreciated that the flexible guide rail 1% can be configured in relation to the contour of the edge e of the material M to serve is a cam which will be effective to displace material in relation to the needle 40 at the stitching location and while the material is being bodily advanced toward the needle 40 as will be described hereinafter. Various configurations maybe imparted to the guide rail or cam member 100 by the machine operator by manually making different settings for the several adjustable mounts 106.

l A material clamp, serving as a cam follower, and generally designated by the reference numeral 118, is mounted on the guide rail or cam member 100 and is engageable with the material M at the trailing end of the curved edge e thereof. The material clamp 118 is movable along the guide rail 100 toward the needle 36 during stitching to continuously orient successive edge-adjacent portions of the material M in relation to the sewing machine 18 for stitching of the material M along the stitching line S. The material clamp 118 is seen best in FIG. 6 and includes a first inverted U-shaped trolley or carriage 120 which includes leg sections 122, 124 at opposite sides of the guide rail 100, with the leg sections 122, 124 terminating in right angle footings 126, 128. A second similar inverted U-shaped trolley 130 is spaced from the trolley 120 and has a common footing 126 therewith, as seen best in FIG. 5. Within the trolley 120 above the guide rail 100, there is journaled a first top trolley-guiding roller 130 which engages the upper end of the guide rail 100; and similarly within the trolley 130, there is a corresponding top trolley-guiding roller 134. Intermediate the trolleys 120, 130, the footing 126 carries a first lateral trolley-guiding roller 136; and the respective footin-gs 128 of the trolleys 120, 130 carry second and third lateral trolley-guiding rollers 138, 140. The described arrangement is such that the clamp 118 will be accurately guided during its traverse from the end of the rail 100 remote from the needle 40 toward the needle by successive camming surfaces presented thereto by the rail 100.

By continued reference to FIG. 6, it will be seen that the footing 126 carries a top plate 142 which is of a relatively rigid material and has an upturned free end 142a. Underlying the top plate 142 and spaced therefrom is a resilient base plate 144 which is mounted by an appropriate spaoer 146 on the top plate 142, with the spacing of the plates 142, 144 and the resilience of the base plate 144 being selected and arranged to releasably grip the material M thereto for guiding thereof by the clamp 118 as the latter traverses the rail 100.

As seen best in FIG. 5, the end of the rail 100 contiguous to the needle 40 terminates in a lateral trolley stop 148 which is spaced from the needle 40 and arranged to the side thereof. Intermediate trolley stop 148 and the needle 40 is a laterally adjustable edge guide 150 for imparting a final orientation to the edge e just prior to stitching thereof.

With continued reference to FIGS. 2, 4 and 7, there will now be described the details of the control means which initiates the stitching interval, lowers the presser foot 38 to its operative position, terminates the stitching interval when the trailing end of the material M moves to a sensing location in advance of the needle 40, and maintains the presser foot 38 in its lowered position for a prescribed time interval after termination of the stitching interval to assure completion of the stitched line L and the feed of the final segment of the edge-adjacent margin through the sewing mechanisms.

Referring first to FIG. 4, it will be seen that the motor shaft 34a is connected to the drive plate 152a of a clutch 152 which has its driven plate 152b connected to the main drive pulley 30. Both the main drive pulley 30 and the driven clutch plate 15212 are mounted on a sleeve 154 which is loosely journaled on a motor shaft 34, as is Well understood. The motor 34 carries a clutch-mounting bracket 156 which has mounted thereon a double arm clutch-actuating lever 158. The short arm 158a of the actuating lever 158 carries a roller 160 which is engaged within an appropriate annular groove between the driven clutch plate 152b and the pulley 30, While the long arm 15% is pivotally connected to a connecting link 162 at a pivotal connection 164. Contiguous to its lower end, the connecting link 162 is provided with a locking hose 162a which may be engaged beneath a ledge provided by a cutout 14b in the stand plate 140.

Normally, the driven clutch plate 152b is biased away from driving clutch 152a by a spring 166 which is anchored on the motor 34 and connected to the connecting link 162. When a downwardly directed pull is exerted on the connecting link 162, the locking nose 162a is moved through the cutout 14b in the stand plate 14c and is engaged with the underside of the plate contiguous to the cutout thereby urging the driven clutch plate 152b and the driving pulley 30 into driving engagement with the driving clutch 152a. The connecting link 162 is actuated in this illustrative embodiment by the provision of a foot pedal 168 which projects to the left side of the machine when viewed in FIG. 1 which is the location at which the operator stands. The foot pedal 168 is mounted on the end of a foot pedal lever 170 which is .pivoted at 172 on the stand plate 140. At an intermediate location,

.the foot pedal lever 170 is coupled via link 174 to the link 162, the link 174 having a pivotal connection 176 to the lever 170 and a pivotal connection 178 to the link 162. A spring 180 is operatively connected to the links 162, 174 to bias the locking nose 162a against the bounding wall of the cutout 14b such that it will be engaged beneath the stand plate 140 when urged downwardly by depressing the foot pedal 168.

Provision is made for electrically disengaging the locking nose 162a of the link 162 from the stand plate 140 to thereby restore the clutch 152 to the inoperative or disengaged position shown in FIG. 4. In this illustrative embodiment, a clutch-disengaging solenoid 182 is mounted on the frame plate 14c, with the solenoid plunger 182a being coupled to the link 162 by a connecting link 184. Energization of the solenoid, will cause the plunger 182a to be pulled inwardly thereby disengaging the locking nose 162a from the stand plate 140 and bringing about a corresponding disengagement of the clutch 152. The clutch-disengaging solenoid includes in its energization circuit a conductive runout sensor 186, shown diagrammatically in FIG. 4 and illustrated in its operative position in FIG. 5-. The runout sensor 186 is positioned to be engaged by the material clamp 118 when the latter is in its forward limit position contiguous to the needle 40. The runout sensor 186 is mounted on an insulating block 188 and is held against movement in a direction toward the needle 40 by an insulating post 190. When the material clamp, which is fabricated of an electrically conductive material, contacts the runout sensor 186, a circuit is completed for the clutch-disengaging solenoid 182 which in turn disengages the clutch 152 associated with the motor 34.

The sewing machine 18 usually has sufiicient inertia to slightly overrun after disengagement of the drive thereto which ordinarily would be sufficient to complete the trailing end of the stitch line s. Normally, the presser foot 38 would be moved out of contact with the fourmotion feed dog 42 and thereby disrupt the stitching operation prior to the completion of the stitch line S.

Although provision is made in the instant machine for restoring the presser foot 38 to its retracted or inoperative position at the end of the stitching interval, as will now be described, an auxiliary control is associated with the actuating mechanism for the presser foot 38 to keep the presser foot down during the period of overrunning of the sewing machine such that the stitching line S will be completed. As seen in FIG. 7, there is mounted at the rear side of the machine body 24, a double arm actuating lever 192 which has a pivotal mount 194 intermediate its end such that the double arm lever 192 may be rocked about a horizontal axis in a vertical plane. One arm of the double arm mounting lever is connected to the presser foot bar 36 by a link 196, while the other arm thereof is connected via a link 198 to a further double arm actuating lever 200 which is mounted at pivot 202 on a mounting bracket 204 which depends from the table 12 of the sewing machine. The mounting bracket 204 carries a footengaging solenoid 206, the plunger 206a of which is operatively connected to the double arm actuating lever 200. A spring 208 is connected to the double arm lever 200 and is eifective to normally bias the presser foot 38 to the raised or inoperative position illustrated in FIG. 7.Energization of the solenoid 206 will cause the plunger 2060 to exert downwardly directed pull which in turn will be effective to urge the presser foot 38 downwardly and into engagement with the material M. The footengaging solenoid is connected to a source of energizing potential through a centrifugal mercury switch 210 which completes the energization circuit for the solenoid 206 during the stitching interval and during the overrun period of the sewing machine 18. In the present illustrative embodiment, and as seen best in FIGS. 1 and 2, this is accomplished by eccentrically mounting the mercury switch 210. Specifically, and as seen best in FIG. 2, the centrifugal switch 210 is mounted on arms 212, 214 which are appropriately journaled on a mounting bracket 216 which includes an insulated post 218 supported on the table 12 of the sewing machine. The switch 210 is rotated about the eccentric axis of its stub shafts 220, 222 by the provision of a driven pulley 224 which is secured to the stub shaft 222 and coupled by a belt 226 to a driving pulley 228 secured to intermediate shaft 50. Thus, the overrun of the main drive shaft 26 will cause the feed wheel 44 to overrun, the belt conveyor 58 to overrun and the presser foot 38 to remain in the operative posititon due to the completion of the circuit for the solenoid 206 through the centrifugal mercury switch 210. When the sewing machine drive shaft 26 comes to a halt, the switch 210 will interrupt the circuit for the foot-engaging solenoid 206 and restore the presser foot 38 to the retracted or inoperative position thereby enabling the load? ing of the next ply or plies of the material for stitching.

In order to facilitate a more thorough understanding of the present invention, a typical sequence of operations will now be described in detail;

In order to commence the stitching of any particular material assembly, be it of a single ply or multiple plies, it first is necessary to contour the guide rail or cam member 100. This may be accomplished in any one of a number of ways. For example, the material assembly may be manually feed through the sewing machine 18 on a simulated run and successive positions of'the rearmost end of the edge e may be marked on the underlined portion of the table. It should be noted in this connection, and as is possibly best demonstrated in FIG. 8, that successive positions of the rearmost end of such edge e will trace a path which is quite different from the contour of the curved edge which is to be guided past the needle 40 for stitching. Once the contour of the guide rail 100 is established by the tracing approach suggested above, it is but a simple matter for the machine operator to make the necessary adjustments in the mounts 106 to flex the guide rail 100 into the required contour. Alternatively, the material may be passed all the way through the machine and the clamp 118 brough to its position adjacent the needle 40 and attached to the trailing end of the edge e of the material. The guide rail is then loosened and as the clamp 118 is drawn along the guide rail 100 away from the needle 40, the successive mounts 106 are secured in the required positions to contour the rail. When the same types of patterns are stitched at different times, it may only be necessary to establish the contour of the rail for any given pattern only in the first instance. Thereupon, a tracing can be prepared which may be marked and kept until such time as the particular pattern is going to be used again whereupon the tracing may be used to contour the rail.

Once the guide rail 100 is contoured and the appropriate adjustments made for the drive to the feed wheel 44 and the conveyor 58, the operator takes his or her position at the operating station which is at the side of the machine 10 to the left in FIG. 1. The material M to be stitched is then placed upon the conveyor, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, and the material-engaging clamp 118 is secured to the trailing end of the edge e. Appropriate adjustment establish the selvage or margin m whereupon the machine operator depresses the foot .pedal 168. Upon depressing the foot pedal 168, a pull is exerted by links 174, 162 on the arm 15% of the double arm lever 158 and engages the clutch 152. It should be understood that the motor 34 is connected to the power supply over the usual switch associated with the sewing machine. Upon engagement of the clutch 152, drive is imparted to the sewing machine shaft 26 and immediately the centrifugal mercury switch 210 completes the circuit associated with the foot-engaging solenoid 206 to bring the presser-foot 38 against the work. The stitching continues until the trailing end of the seam is sensed by contact of the material-engaging clamp 118 with the runoutsensor 186. 'At this time, the energization is completed for the clutch-disengaging solenoid 182 which is effective to release the locking nose 162a from beneath the stand plate and disengage the clutch 152. During the subsequent period of overrun of the sewing machine and of rotary feed wheel 44 and the conveyor belt 58, the presser-foot 38 remains in its operative position, as previously detailed.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure. In some instances, some features of the invention will be used without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the disclosure herein.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for stitching material along a stitch line coextensive with and spaced from an edge thereof comprising a support, sewing mechanisms on said support including a reciprocating needle operable at a stitching location for stitching said material along said stitch line,

elongated flexible guide means projecting forwardly of said needle and contoured along its length to guide said material as the same is advanced through said stitching location for stitching said material along. said stitch line, means adjustably mounting said flexible guide means on said support for releasably securing said flexible guide means in a prescribed contour, and a material clamp movably mounted on said guide means and engageable with said material, said material clamp being movable along said guide means during stitching to continuously orient successive edge-adjacent portions of said material in relation to said sewing mechanisms for stitching of said material along said stitching line.

2. A machine for stitching material according to claim 1 including conveyor means adapted to underlie said material for advancing the same in relation to said sewing mechanisms such that successive edge-adjacent portions of said material are presented to said sewing machine at said stitching location.

is made in the lateral guide to 3. A machine for stitching material according to claim 1 including means responsive to movement of said material-clamping means to a limit position adjacent said needle for causing automatic release of said material after stitching along said stitching line.

4. A machine for stitching material according to claim 1 wherein said flexible guide means includes an elongated flexible guide rail projecting forwardly of said needle and arranged to be contoured along its length to guide said material as the same is advanced through said stitching location for stitching said material along said stitch line, said material-clamping means being movable along said guide rail toward said needle during stitching.

5. A machine for stitching material according to claim 4 including a material conveyor adapted to underlie said material for advancing the same in relation to said sewing mechanisms such that successive portions of said material are presented to said sewing machine at said stitching location.

6. A machine for stitching material according to claim 5 wherein said material conveyor includes plural side by side spaced belts each movable along a course parallel to said feed path and extending fore and aft of said needle and a variable speed drive operatively connected to said material conveyor for imparting movement thereto to convey said material at a prescribed rate related to the feeding and stitching rate of said sewing machine.

7. A machine for stitching material according to claim 6 including a lateral edge guide arranged along said feed path in advance of said needle for guiding said material as the same is conveyed through said sewing machine.

8. A guiding mechanism for advancing material to a work location while continuously orienting said material in accordance with the contour of an edge thereof comprising an elongated flexible cam member extending toward said work location, adjustable contouring means for securing said cam member in a prescribed configuration related to the contour of said edge, a cam follower engaging said cam member and movable therealong, and clamp means operatively connected to said cam follower and engageable with said material such that the latter is guided in accordance with said prescribed configuration.

9. A guiding mechanism according to claim 8 including means for moving said cam follower along said cam member toward said work location.

'10. A guiding mechanism according to claim 9 including a conveyor arranged to underlie and engage said material and to advance the same along a feed path toward said work location.

11. A guiding mechanism according to claim 10 wherein a cam follower engaging said cam member and movable therealong, and clamp means operatively connected to said cam follower and engageable with said material such that the latter is steered in relation to said feed path while being bodily advanced toward said needle by said conveyor.

12. A machine for stitching material along a stitching line contiguous to and spaced from an edge thereof comprising a sewing machine including a feed bed having a throat plate, a presser foot overlying and adapted to bear against said feed bed, a reciproca'ble needle arranged in operative relation to said presser foot and movable through a stitching stroke at a stitching location, a feed dog operable through said throat plate and adapted to underlie and bear against said material for advancing the same along a feed path past said needle, drive means for reciprocating said needle and moving said feed dog in timed relation to each other for stitching said material along said stitch line, a material conveyor arranged to underlie and engage said material, means operatively connected to said material conveyor for imparting drive thereto to convey said material at a prescribed rate related to the feeding and stitching rate of said sewing machine, and a guiding mechanism for continuously orienting said material in accordance with the contour of an edge thereof and relative to said conveyor, said guiding mechanism including an elongated cam member, a cam follower engaging said cam member and means for releasably securing said material to said cam follower.

13. A machine for stitching material aocording to claim 12 wherein said presser foot is movable between elevated and lowered positions and including a clutch for selectively engaging said drive means with said reciprocating needle and control means for initiating a stitching interval including means responsive to engagement of said clutch means for moving said presser foot into said lowered position, means operable in response to the movement of said trailing end of said material to said stitching location for disengaging said clutch means, and means operable after disengaging said clutch means for maintaining said presser foot in said lowered position for a prescribed time interval to assure completion of said stitch line.

14. A machine for stitching material according to claim 13 wherein said conveyor is actuated from said drive means through said clutch and adapted to underlie said material for advancing the same in relation to said sewing mechanisms during said stitching interval such that successive edge-adjacent portions of said material are presented to said sewing machine at said stitchinglocation.

15. A machine for stitching material along a prescribed stitch line coextensive with and spaced inwardly from an edge thereof comprising a support, sewing mechanisms on said support including a reciprocating needle operable at a stitching location for successively stitching said material along said prescribed stitch line, said sewing mechanisms being adapted to receive said material when arranged forwardly of said stitching location and advanced toward and through said stitching location along a normal feed path relative to said needle, guide means engageable with said material and operable to impart steering motion to said material as the same is advanced toward such stitching location for displacing said material from side to side relative to said normal feed path such that said material will be stitched substantially along said stitch line, said guide means including an elongated guide rail projecting forwardly of said needle and a clamp movably mounted on and guided by said rail, said clamp being engageable with said material contiguous to the trailing end of said edge when the leading end of said edge is initially positioned at said stitching location, said guide rail being constructed and arranged to impart steering motion to said clamp as the latter is moved therealong and toward such stitching location to continuously orient and present successive edge-adjacent portions of said material in relation to said sewing mechanisms at said stitching location for stitching along said prescribed stitch line.

16. A machine according to claim 15 including material-advancing means engageable with said material for transporting the same through and beyond said stitching location.

17. A machine according to claim 15 wherein said elongated guide rail is flexible and including means for securing said guide rail on said support in a prescribed contour related to the contour of said edge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,942,128 1/ 1934 Sommer 112-2 3,116,705 1/1964 Kosrow 112 -2 3,170,423 2/1965 Henebry 112-102 X 3,192,885 6/1965 Tinirn 112-2 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. I. R. BOLER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A MACHINE FOR STITCHING MATERIAL ALONG A STITCH LINE COEXTENSIVE WITH A SPACED FROM AN EDGE THEREOF COMPRISING A SUPPORT, SEWING MECHANISMS ON SAID SUPPORT INCLUDING A RECIPROCATING NEEDLE OPERABLE AT A STITCHING LOCATION FOR STITCHING SAID MATERIAL ALONG SAID STITCH LINE, ELONGATED FLEXIBLE GUIDE MEANS PROJECTING FORWARDLY OF SAID NEEDLE AND CONTOURED ALONG ITS LENGTH TO GUIDE SAID MATERIAL AS THE SAME IS ADVANCED THROUGH SAID STITCHING LOCATION FOR STITCHING SAID MATERIAL ALONG SAID STITCH LINE, MEANS ADJUSTABLY MOUNTING SAID FLEXIBLE GUIDE MEANS ON SAID SUPPORT FOR RELEASABLY SECURING SAID FLEXIBLE GUIDE MEANS IN A PRESCRIBED CONTOUR, AND A MATERIAL CLAMP 